downtrodden

/ˈdaʊnˌtɹɒdən/

//ˈdaʊnˌtɹɒdən// adj

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"downtrodden" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“downtrodden” has 16 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #43,120. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#43,120
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
16
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Oppressed, persecuted or subjugated.

Corpus desk

Index EN-downtrodden · downtrodden · English

downtrodden · rank #43,120 · 16 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #43,120
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 16 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH Donbass

Nearest frequency peer: Donbass (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “downtrodden”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “downtrodden” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for downtrodden
PropertyValue
Headworddowntrodden
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈdaʊnˌtɹɒdən/
Letters11
Frequency rank#43,120
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “downtrodden”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).downtroddenlands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “Donbass” (#43,119), “drowsiness” (#43,121), “dizzying” (#43,118). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “downtrodden” is #43,120. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 16 spelling variants around downtrodden (IPA /ˈdaʊnˌtɹɒdən/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #43,120 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for downtrodden, with forms such as "ddowntrodden", "donwtrodden", and "downntrodden". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English *dountroden, past participle of Middle English dountreden (“to tread down, trample”), equivalent to down- + trodden. The correct English form is downtrodden, spelled D-O-W-N-T-R-O-D-D-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Oppressed, persecuted or subjugated.
  2. 2
    Trodden down.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how downtrodden appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. a patch of downtrodden soil

Etymology

From Middle English *dountroden, past participle of Middle English dountreden (“to tread down, trample”), equivalent to down- + trodden.

This word in other languages

oprimido(Español)brimé(Français)unterdrückt(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ddowntrodden
  • donwtrodden
  • downntrodden
  • downrtodden
  • downtordden
  • downtrdoden
  • downtroddenn
  • downtroddne
  • downtrodedn
  • downtroden
  • downtrrodden
  • downttrodden
  • dowtnrodden
  • dowwntrodden
  • dwontrodden
  • odwntrodden

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of downtrodden - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ddowntrodden1donwtrodden2downntrodden1downrtodden2downtordden2downtrdoden2downtroddenn1downtroddne2
Edit distance from "downtrodden"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "downtrodden"?
"downtrodden" is spelled D-O-W-N-T-R-O-D-D-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdaʊnˌtɹɒdən/.
What does "downtrodden" mean?
As an adjective, "downtrodden" means: Oppressed, persecuted or subjugated.
What are common misspellings of "downtrodden"?
Common misspellings include "ddowntrodden", "donwtrodden", "downntrodden", "downrtodden", "downtordden". The correct spelling is "downtrodden".
How do you pronounce "downtrodden"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "downtrodden" is /ˈdaʊnˌtɹɒdən/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "downtrodden"?
From Middle English *dountroden, past participle of Middle English dountreden (“to tread down, trample”), equivalent to down- + trodden. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "downtrodden", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 11 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

disobedient#43,114eventuality#43,140extrapolate#43,149collapsible#43,086

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (16 here; floor ≥5).

divestment16 variantsKierkegaard16 variantsmanifestly16 variantstransitory16 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list